The use of food stamps in Barry County increased during the recession, assisting families in stretching their food dollars, contributing to local spending and helping spark a national debate about the future of the federal nutrition program.

The proportion of Barry County residents receiving food stamps hit 19.6 percent in 2011, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Services. That's an increase of 1.1 percentage points since 2007, the year the recession started, according to data compiled by Dr. Roberto Gallardo with Mississippi State University Extension Service.

Across Missouri, 15.8 percent of residents in 2011 received support from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), as the food stamp program is officially known. Nationally, 14.8 percent of the population receives SNAP benefits.

Places like Barry County, which are located outside metropolitan areas, tend to have a higher percentage of the population receiving SNAP benefits. Incomes generally run lower in non-metropolitan counties. Barry County's rate has consistently run 2 to 3 percentage points higher than the rest of Missouri since 2002.

The inflation-adjusted median household income in Barry County in 2011 was $37,851, compared to the Missouri median of $46,846. Nationally, median household income was $52,306 in 2011.

In 2011, residents of Barry County received a combined $10,667,847 in SNAP benefits. The USDA reports that each $5 in SNAP benefits generates $9.20 in spending.

SNAP benefits start to circulate in the economy quickly. Participants spend nearly all their food stamps within one month of receipt, according to a study by the University of New Hampshire Carsey Institute.

Grocers say they feel the impact of SNAP and other USDA nutrition programs like Women, Infants and Children (WIC).

Owners know they have to stock the shelves to prepare for more business when SNAP benefits hit the streets, said David Procter with the Rural Grocery Initiative

In addition to the mom-and-pop stores that see a bump from food-stamp spending in small towns and rural areas, Walmart reported in a recent Securities and Exchange Commission filing that a decrease in SNAP benefits last year could affect the retail giant's bottom line.

Average SNAP benefits nationally fell about $30 a month per family in November after a temporary increase that was part of the 2009 economic stimulus package. More funding decreases are on the way.

This summer, Congress agreed to trim about $8 billion from SNAP over the next decade. Backers of the cuts said the program had expanded too much in recent years and was creating too much reliance on government assistance. SNAP expenditures increased 135 percent between 2007 and 2011.

Food stamps have been part of the federal Farm Bill for the past 50 years. The legislation's combination of farming and nutrition programs has helped ensure the bill receives broad backing from farm-country representatives and more urban-based members who support anti-poverty programs.

That alliance was tested but held with the passage of the 2014 Farm Bill.